A group of committed individuals in Alappuzha, Kerala are battling odds to revive cultivation of the unique Pokkali variety of paddy that had given way to the more lucrative business of shrimp farming. PN Venugopalreports

Jeffrey M Smith, an authority on genetically modified organisms and the author of Genetic Roulette, says that 65 health risks from GMOs provide irrefutable evidence. of harm. In this interview he explains why GM technology must be confined to the lab.
S Usha reports.

In coastal Kerala, rice cultivation is alternated with prawn farming. The method requires no fertilisers or pesticides. But many farmers in the area aren't too keen on it. What ails the system?
M Suchitra and
P N Venugopal find out

A multi-state campaign to draw attention to the adverse effect of agriculture
and trade policies on sugarcane farmers has just ended.
Padmalatha Ravi spoke with farmers and campaign
coordinators in Tamilnadu, and traces the growth and decline of agricultural families' fortunes around this crop.

The coconut was once the equivalent of cash in Kerala's rural economy. Not any more.
Wild fluctuations in coconut prices and cheap imports of palm oil have cast a dark
shadow over Kerala's coconut farmers
Venugopal PN reports